STOP THE MADNESS-The Pain of Migraines

It is hard to pass a row of magazines at the grocery store without seeing something like "Five Natural Headache Remedies" or "New Ways to Be Headache Free."Not surprising when we consider that almost 160 million workdays are lost each year due to headaches. The American Council for Headache Education reported that 95% of women and 90% of men had at least one headache in the surveyed year.Migraine headaches afflict many people. Migraine symptoms include severe pain on one side of the head that can last for days and can include nausea and light sensitivity. Vision problems are common before getting a migraine. Almost 20% of women experience migraines and report a very negative impact on their families.Much TV airtime is devoted to new migraine medications but with this news comes the warning of "rebound headaches." This is a migraine that briefly but then returns even more painful, as a result of over medication. The only response when someone suffers a rebound headache is to quit the medication.So, pain medications may not be the answer, and at best, are only temporary. Medications have some side effects that are more severe than the original headache.Chiropractors view migraines as caused by pressure on nerve endings in the head resulting from a chemical imbalance in the brain. Since the brain controls the entire body's function by communication through the nervous system, any interference to this communication effects the body. If any spinal bones, which protect the delicate nerves, get misaligned, there is a negative effect on the body's systems. Muscles attached to spinal bones overreact and become spastic and irritated because the nerves stretch and become traumatized. Headache pain can easily result from these imbalances.For years, migraine sufferers have gotten not only relief, but long term benefit from chiropractic care. Chiropractors work to realign spinal bones, restoring balance and integrity to the spine. With spinal bones in proper place, nerves are no longer stressed, muscles regain their healthy tone, and body tissues are restored to normal.